Discussion

Restaurants near Tapatio Cliffs Hilton

I will be attending a conference at the Tapatio Cliffs Hilton in May and am looking for some good restaurants within 5 miles - presume we can taxi. One or two nights we will be 10 people. Would love some great southwestern or mexican food. Most of us are from the Northeast, particularly New York City. It would be great to keep the cost to $45-$60 a head.Less than that would be a bonus.

I suspect you're looking for more elegant surroundings, but just in case you don't mind the more typical take-out atmosphere many of the mexican places have, check out Carolina's North at Cactus and Cave Creek. Best overall mexican food in that part of town, and without question the best tortillas in town. If you can make it down to Camelback and 32nd Street, Noca would be an excellent choice.

If you are open to a little adventure, the neighborhood to the south, Sunnyslope, has some great food for cheap. El Bravo serves classic Arizona-Sonoran border food done right. Excellent tamales. On the other hand, Los Reyes de la Torta, serves Mexico-City sandwiches, sopes, and huaraches to a mostly Spanish-speaking crowd.The former serves beer; I believe the latter has no liquor license but serves fruit juices. If you want to visit a wine bar, try Bomberos, which specializes in South American wines and serves bar food such as panini.

Going a little farther south into North Central Phoenix, you have a slightly higher price point at Sierra Bonita, which serves modern Southwestern food. Buttermlik fried chicken is worth the indulgence.

Finally, be careful about "presume we can taxi." You can certainly call for a taxi. I strongly recommend Discount taxi as the most reliable firm with the cleanest cars. Nevertheless, hailing a cab on the street is unheard of in Phoenix, so make sure to call 20 minutes or so before you need a taxi. To be honest, though, if you plan on leaving the resort every day, a rental car might work out to be cheaper.